The packaging of medical items intended for use in surgery frequently involves the use of a double sterile package, that is, an inner package containing the item and being sealed and sterilized and an outer package enclosing the inner package and also being sealed and sterilized. The item must be protected from damage and the integrity of the package seal must be protected to maintain sterility. To these ends, various package designs have been utilized to immobilize the item. With items such as hip and knee joint prostheses which are relatively heavy, the item must be firmly restrained against movement within the package. Furthermore, such items are available in a wide range of sizes such that the provision of suitable packaging can entail considerable expense in inventory and in the obtaining of regulatory approval for the packaging. At the point of use, the medical item should be readily removed from the package without risk of contamination or the need to manipulate cumbersome mechanisms that could lead to dropping of the item.